According to the general secretary of the union NBRU, widespread industrial action across the public transport network is inevitable unless Bus Éireann backs away from plans to separate the Expressway service from the rest of the company. Unions have warned that a ‘conflict scenario’ is developing if the company adopts unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of staff. Bus Éireann has indicated that it wants to separate Expressway from the rest of the company, reduce the staff number and introduce pay cuts. Compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out and unions will ballot for industrial action over the issue.